Zack Wheeler. Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Phillies complete priority offseason task by extending ace

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated 3/4/24

If the Philadelphia Phillies want to get over the hump and win their first World Series since 2008, keeping their pair of aces together atop the starting rotation was paramount this offseason.

Aaron Nola signed a seven-year, $172M contract extension with the club in November . And on Monday, Zack Wheeler joined him with a new long-term deal of his own.

Wheeler's three-year, $126M contract is set to break the record for highest annual salary for a contract extension, per ESPN's Buster Olney.

Zack Wheeler and the Phillies have agreed to a multi-year extension. Wheeler would have been the No. 1 pitcher free agent next fall, but instead, he stays in Philly. By season’s end, he will also accumulate 10-5 rights, and with that the power to veto any trade. Announcement…
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 4, 2024

The Phillies were reportedly strong contenders for Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto this offseason. While the righty ultimately landed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia was able to retain its core group of starters from last season.

Nola, Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, Taijuan Walker and Cristopher Sanchez head a strong rotation that helped lead Philadelphia pitchers to the third-best WHIP (1.24) in the National League last year, third-most quality starts (70) and tied for third-lowest ERA (4.02).

Nola, who finished fourth in NL Cy Young Voting in 2022, had a slightly down 2023 campaign, going 12-9 with a 4.46 ERA. Wheeler was dominant last season, going 13-6 with a 3.61 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 212 strikeouts over 192 innings pitched to finish sixth in the NL Cy Young voting.

After falling in six games in the 2022 World Series, the Phillies were eliminated in Game 7 of the 2023 NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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